Elections on elections: 5 podcast episodes about this week’s biggest news stories

Another week, another news round up. We’ve got a little bit of everything: Canada elections, California rejections, and US Open perfection.

This week, California voters have spoken and rejected the recall of Governor Gavin Newsom. Next week, Canadian voters will make their choice to keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or oust him for a new leader. Also, some space launches and record-setting tennis action. Hear about it now with our weekly news round up.

Up First: Wednesday, September 15, 2021

California Governor Gavin Newsom defeated the Republican-led recall by a 2-to-1 margin shortly after polls closed at 8 PM on September 14. It would’ve been a difficult win for any Republican in the state that outnumbers Republicans by the same margin. Newsom is up for reelection in 2022. Also, news broke that General Milley, one of the top U.S. military officials, was so concerned during Trump’s final days in office that he made secret calls to Beijing to reassure them that the U.S. would not attack China. Also, doctors and nurses are burnt out.

Stories of Our Times: Justin Trudeau: The rise and (possible) fall of Canada’s PM

This episode of “Stories of our Times” gives us a better look at the upcoming Canadian federal election. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau requested the dissolution of Parliament for a snap election, which will take place on September 20. Basically, every member of the Canadian House of Commons will simultaneously resign and the citizens of Canada can choose to reelect them or replace them. Find out more on this episode.

TIME’s The Brief: Inspiration4 Makes Space History With First-Ever All-Civilian Orbital Launch… and More Stories

SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission launched on Wednesday afternoon, making it the first human spaceflight to orbit Earth without a professional astronaut. Four private citizens are onboard and plan on returning to Earth’s surface after three days in orbit. Also in this episode of “TIME’s The Brief” are stories of COVID rapid tests, the future of movie watching, and the Delta variant effect on back-to-office plans.

Start Here: How the FBI Failed Nassar’s Victims

In the opening statements of the horrifying case against Larry Nassar, gymnasts, including Simone Biles, described the FBI’s failure to properly look into their claims of abuse and assault. Being ignored by federal agents ultimately led to Nassar hunting down more victims. And a lawyer from South Carolina is now facing charges of fraud after a hitman he hired didn’t manage to kill him. Also, more on General Milley.

The Passing Shot Tennis Podcast: The US Open Catch-Up

To end on a lighter note, this past weekend made lots of tennis history. First of all, 18-year old Emma Raducanu defeated 19-year old Leylah Fernandez in the first US Open Finals to feature two teenagers since 1999. On top of that, Raducanu became the first ever qualifier, as in she was ranked so low that she had to play in qualifying matches to even make it into the tournament, to win a Grand Slam Tournament. Also, she did it without dropping a single set. Talk about dominance. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic’s dreams of a calendar Grand Slam were dashed when he lost in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev, who won his first major final. Whew. It’s a lot, so check out this episode of “The Passing Shot Tennis Podcast” to hear more.